“Lake Del Valle”
Livermore, California
June 28, 2008

Welcome to Lake Del Valle in Livermore, California. This month’s picture is of a young man that stole everyone’s heart with his smile and enthusiasm. As the annual event hosted by David Lara and his staff of volunteers was underway, I watched as the young man was lifted from the ground and placed on board for a day of fun and fishing. He was thrilled to be going boat riding and fishing. Once settled into the boat, he immediately slid behind the wheel, ready for takeoff. I’m not sure he caught any fish that day but I do know he melted a lot of hearts.

I’m always amazed how strong the kids are in spite of the problems they face each and every day. It takes a lot of courage for anyone to deal with disabilities but kids just seem to take it in stride. Once they see the boats and get the shirts and a rod and reel, they forget they ever had a problem. If it were only that easy for us grownups. Maybe we should be trying to learn from them how to deal with setbacks in our lives. Who knows, a boat ride, catch a few fish, enjoy a hot dog might be the answer to more problems than we can imagine. I think I’ll stop typing now and go give it a try. See you next month!